Interview Questions for a Supervisory Position

Good supervisor needs to have certain skills and attitudes. Employers are aware of it and prepare usually a decent list of interview questions to test out all the applicants for supervisory position. In this article, I will try to outline the most problematic questions for supervisors. I will also give you an advice what to focus on in your answer.

But before we come to this list of questions, I would like you to realize few things:

Supervisor is not a manager, neither a director. He should not manage the work or plan it or take decisions. He should simply supervise the workers, take care of operative decisions and problems and report to the manager. Please keep it on your mind while answering the supervisory interview questions

Good supervisor should at first be able to listen and receive orders and just then to get it. By showing a respect to your interviewer, you present yourself like a good applicant for this position. Please, do not try to be Mr. Important in an interview. This approach would not take you very far in your supervisory career…

List of commonly used questions

Why do you want to have this supervisory position?

A good answer is not the one including “because you want” but the one including “because you are”.
I would like to become a supervisor as I believe that I am a right person for this job and it could be a good career start for me.

What do you consider as most important duties of a supervisor?

In your answer, you should focus also on the listening and reporting part, not only on the supervisory one.
From my point of view, a main duty of a me as a supervisor is to understand well the orders of the manager, do my best to ensure that the employees accomplish these duties and report regularly to my manager.

Why do you think you can be a good supervisor?

You could be, because you have the A, B , C, D … skill.
I believe I can be a good supervisor as I have good observation skills, am able to motivate the others and generally people follow me as a leader.

Do you think a supervisor should help his subordinates?

This is a tricky question. Supervisor should help the people, be an example, but only to certain extend. Please keep it on your mind.
Good supervisor should have a list of his daily duties and do everything possible to ensure that his team finishes the job well. If a help is needed to accomplish it, I will help the laborers. It’s also motivating for them to see their supervisor helping them, isn’t it?

How would you handle the conflict on the workplace?

I suggest you to say that you try to avoid any conflicts if possible.
I always try to keep the atmosphere in a team friendly and avoid any conflicts. However if it happens, I try to understand the point of view of both conflict parties and find an appropriate solution to the situation.

As you can see, it’s not that difficult to convince the employer of your suitability for supervisory position. However, you always need to keep in mind why you are there and what kind of impression do you want to make on an employer.